Campus Housing:
I do not live in on campus housing I commute from home. But with what I have seen from other friends dorms they live in it is very average to poor and doesn't really feel like a warm place to relax and study after classes.

Off-Campus Dining:
Dining is very casual, with lots of food trucks and some independent restaurants, but it is still expensive. It is well suited for young adults who like to hang out with friends, but who are funded by their parents.

Administration:
I feel that school policies are too relaxed in certain areas, mainly classroom conduct; I have actually seen a teacher have to excuse herself due to a panic attack brought on by blatant disrespect. Cell phone use is extremely pervasive, and I know that most students in the class fail to pay attention, then fail the exams.

On the other hand, smoking tobacco is not allowed at all on campus. While I do not smoke, I think it is a little too strict, especially for students who live on campus.

Party Scene:
There is plenty of partying to do, in fact it seems to spread to academic life. People are constantly interacting with eachother, even in class, as if they are just there to meet people and go crazy. This attitude causes the quality of lectures to go down, because I am easily distracted by other conversations or people on their phones.

Campus Food:
There are a few options, but they are inconvenient to get to. Mostly they are located in one building in the center of campus, so it is not always practical to get something between classes.

Campus Food:
Meh. I was forced to no longer be a vegetarian because I lived on campus and couldn't cook for myself. I can't digest meat very well, so I've had constant stomachaches due to their lack of vegetables. Plus all the food is generally unhealthy. The only healthy option is freshens at the Den, but you can't use swipes for that, only dining dollars. Just meh.

Campus Housing:
No dorm is falling apart. They are all very clean due to the awesome custodial staff. Make sure you register early so you can get the dorm you want. Also, the downfall is that they don't have a roommate matching service, so you have to do that somehow by yourself. I was fortunate enough to room with my best friend, so my experience was great.

Health & Safety:
Due to the recent substantial increase in the number of people living in San Marcos the amount of crime has gone up. This includes people breaking into apartments and cars near campus. This does go on but not a never ending thing, there is crime in every city so I don't think it is a big issue specifically at Texas State. As far as sexual assault goes, I know that Texas State takes those kinds of incidences very seriously. There are also organizations on campus that focus on domestic abuse as well. I also have several professors that us at certain times of the year about how serious sexual assault is and that we need to report it.

Off-Campus Dining:
There are no such thing as student discounts at the food places around campus, but the prices are pretty reasonable. There is a variety of local and chain restaurants all around the town and especially near campus. There are so many places that are good options to dine at off of campus that are only a 5-10 minute walk from campus. The local places I recommend are Root Cellar Cafe, Gills Broiler, Alvin Ords, and Cafe on the Square. The chain places I recommend are Chipotle, Jersey Mikes, Torchys Tacos, Potbelly, and Which which.

Administration:
The only issue I really have as far as the strictness of Texas State would be the parking enforcement. It's like they are out to get all of the poor college students and trying to make every dollar they can. It's hard enough having no available parking because there are too many passes sold and not enough spots, but it seems like every time I can't find a spot and I'm on the verge of being late to class I just park anywhere i can that's close for a short period of time and they find a reason to give me a ticket. Because of this i now resort to taking the bus to and from class, but I feel bad for the people that commute from Austin or San Antonio because they don't have that luxury.

Scholarships:
Due to my financial need, I was able to receive all of the loans I needed for school. The only issue with financial aid at Texas State is getting a hold of them on the phone. If you really need something taken care of and want to talk to someone, the only way you will be able to get it done in a timely fashion would be to go to the financial aid office on campus yourself. I think for the amount of students that go to Texas State (and that number only keeps increasing) Texas State needs a bigger financial aid office with more workers. Once that time of the year comes around when people need to receive financial aid the wait can get a bit long even in the office.

Party Scene:
Personally I am not into the whole bar scene in San Marcos, but Texas State never fails to have the best pool parties! We have had something called the Texas State Summer Bash these past recent summers and they have had up to a thousand people show up at the Retreat Apartment Complex pool, which does not hold that capacity of people. Because of the hot Texas weather, the San Marcos river and apartment pool's are a major hit throughout the year and I love it. Also, these parties are open to everyone, it's not limited to just Greek life but there is a lot of diversity all of the time!

Students Often Come From

Overall ExperienceWhat's this?

Texas State is such a friendly, open, accepting university. It's not a super huge college, so the people aren't stuck-up or cocky like you might find at bigger universities. It's very relaxed on campus, and there's a very chill atmosphere surrounding the city of San Marcos, as well. You can feel at home at Texas State, and you'll be surprised to find how easy it is to make friends.

Texas State is superb in making sure its students are offered the opportunities they need to gain skills that will make them the most competitive in their field. Being a smaller university makes it even easier for academic advisers and professors to take the extra time to talk to students one-on-one about their future career paths. The professors and advisers are always eager to help.